Advantages and disadvantages of having a Mac

The Macintosh does not differ much anymore in any way from other x86 personal computers, especially those that run the Windows operating system. For Macs, both the hardware and bundled software, including the operating system, are put together by Apple Computer, whereas Microsoft supplies their software to original equipment manufacturers, including Dell, HP/Compaq, and Lenovo, who make the hardware using a wider range of components. This less-common operating system means that a much smaller range of third-party software is available, although suitable applications, such as Microsoft Office, are available in most areas. The design of the Macintosh operating system has contributed to the near-absence of the types of malware and spyware that plague Microsoft Windows users. This is also due to the small user base, which deters the attention of malware designers. However, a virus as well as a potential vulnerability was noted in February 2006, which led some industry analysts and anti-virus companies to issue warnings that Apple's Mac OS X is not immune to viruses.

Apple has a history of innovation and making bold changes that is met by a strong uptake of software upgrades. The Classic application allowed users to run “old” (Mac OS 9) applications on Mac OS X computers, though without the advantages of a native Mac OS X application. The Apple Intel transition started in 2006 does not support Classic on new Intel Macs, and purchasers of these computers who are still using Classic applications have to either replace, upgrade this software, or run it in a PowerPC emulator such as SheepShaver. The transition involved the recompilation of most Mac OS X software to maximize performance; in the interim, unmodified Mac OS X applications can run on the Intel chip under the emulation software “Rosetta.” Applications do not run as fast under Rosetta as a normal application. Many analysts have stated that certain high-profile programs, such as those from Adobe Systems, should not be used under Rosetta until native versions are released. [verification needed] This has not stopped other analysts from fully recommending Apple computers, as can be seen in reviews for the recent MacBook.

Early in its history, up until the PCI-based Power Macs, Macintosh hardware was notoriously closed. Connectors were often proprietary, requiring specialized peripherals or adapter cable. However, since the introduction of the original iMac in 1997, Apple computers have used standard USB and FireWire connections, which allow users a greatly expanded choice of peripherals.

Originally, the hardware architecture was so closely tied to the Mac OS that it was impossible to boot an alternative operating system; the most common workaround, used even by Apple for its A/UX Unix implementation, was to boot into Mac OS and then to hand over control to a program that took over the system and acted as a boot loader. This technique is not necessary on Open Firmware-based PCI Macs, though it was formerly used for convenience on many Old World ROM systems due to bugs in the firmware implementation. Modern Mac hardware boots directly from Open Firmware or EFI, and is not limited to the Mac OS. In 2006 Apple introduced Boot Camp, which allows owners of Intel-based Macs to install and boot Windows, without the use of emulation software.